Wilfrid Gordon McDonald Partridge

By Mem Fox and Julie Vivas

Pub. Scholastic Australia 1984

ISBN 978-7-86291-819-1

Wilfrid Gordon McDonald Partridge is a young boy who lives with his parents next door to an old people’s home. He visits the old people and has come to know many of them, the things they like to do and the stories they tell, but he has a particular favourite, a woman who has four names, just like him. Her name is Miss Nancy Alison Delacourt Cooper, and he calls her “Miss Nancy”.

One day he hears his parents talking about Miss Nancy and how she is a “poor old thing” because she has lost her memory. Wilfrid Gordon asks what a memory is and his father tells him it is “something you remember”.  This isn’t quite enough information for Wilfrid Gordon so he visits the people at the home and asks them each to tell him what a memory is. What follows is a wonderful range of responses that cover the special nature of memory for each person at the old people’s home. Something warm, something from long ago, something that makes you cry, something that makes you laugh, and something as precious as gold

Wilfrid Gordon thinks about all these different things and decides to give some “memories” to Miss Nancy as she has lost her own. He searches his own home and finds things that meet the criteria of “memory” as described to him, and when he presents his basket of memories to Miss Nancy, each item triggers a special memory for her and she is able to remember her life.

This charming story, with the whimsical and quirky illustrations of Julie Vivas, shows the relationship between a child and elderly people who have lived long and rich lives, and are happy to share their time and experiences. There are a number of learning opportunities here : connections within communities; not all answers come from your own parents; everyone has their own story to tell and the importance of treating others with respect regardless of age.

More information on Mem Fox and Julie Vivas can be found at

http://www.memfox.net/welcome.html
www.scholastic.com.au/titles/possummagic/pdf/profile_julievivas.pdf